Alive
by MGstars
Summary: Third and last part of my AU OQ Vampire. After Afterlife and Lifeless, this OS concludes the trilogy. It gives an insight in Regina and Robin's lives now that they are free from the curse and they can have a human and normal life again.


_A/N : Alright, I know, I wasn't supposed to update or post anything during the time of my holidays, but this was actually half written and I had to keep myself busy during the 6h driving today XD (I wasn't driving, don't worry XD) So here I am!_

 _I know it's not my most famous story, it's not the one you're waiting for and I don't know if many will read it, but it is for a friend. No, Kseni, it's not your birthday present, this one isn't ready yet (sorry ;-( ). And Lucia, I know you told me you were fine with how Lifeless ended, but I was asked to write a last part, and to be honest I kind of wanted to finish it._

 _So Celina, sweetie, I really hope you'll like it because this third and final part of my AU OQ Vampire is dedicated to you! Mwah! You must be sleeping right now but you'll see it when you'll wake up! Hope it'll make you smile. I hope it'll make everyone smile! I don't have much details about what's happening in the show, but I think no matter what, we all need to smile!_

 _It isn't betaread, and I am so, so sorry for all the mistakes I know my text is full of._

 _But there you go! Enjoy! And if you happen to want to share your thoughts about it, I'm all ears and eyes :-)_

* * *

"Daddy, catch me!"

The brunette runs across the meadow, ignoring her mother's calls of her name, heading straight for the carriage that arrived minutes ago.

Robin turns around, smiling at the sight greeting him, bends down and lifts the four years-old above his head, making her swing in the air "Like birds, daddy! I wanna be a bird!"

"Anything for my little princess." He answers, playing a little more before lowering the child, hoisting her to his hip.

"Faith Aurora Locksley!" The firm voice of Regina scolds as she joins them, slightly breathless, a hand supporting her large stomach. "What did I tell you countless times, young girl?"

The little girl looks down, her voice sheepish. "I don't run off and I listen to you and daddy."

"And what did you just do?" Regina tilts her chin up, lifts an eyebrow, noticing Robin's amused gaze, but she knows he's so crazy about their child she is the one who has to set the boundaries, and after a week away from his family, he surely doesn't want to scold his beautiful little girl the second he sees her.

"I don't listen."

"That's right. You _didn't_ listen." She can't help but correct the mistake.

"But daddy is back, mommy!" The toddler reasons, making her parents laugh.

Regina brings a hand to wave in her daughter's hair, lovingly gazes at her husband. "Yes, he is, sweetheart. But it's not a reason not to listen to me, alright?"

"Okay, mommy. Sorry."

"Good girl. Now give a hug to your father. He surely has missed you very much."

Understanding that she's out of the doghouse, the brunette happily grins at her father, clutching to his neck.

"Miss you, daddy."

"My beautiful princess. I missed the two of you so much." Robin says as he accepts the hug willingly, holding his child close before turning to his wife. "How was she?"

"Adorable, as always." Regina answers with a smile. "She just turned the castle upside down."

"That bad?"

"Not worse than last time. But I'm worn out." She leans in his embrace when he opens an arm for her. "And I'm happy to see you." She presses her lips to his. "I missed you too."

Regina breathes out slowly, savors the feeling of her husband's strong arms around her, the warmth of his body, softness of his hand in her back.

They've come a long way. When they finally managed to get rid of the curse which had turned them into vampires, when they were both back to a human life and able to live fully, Robin's anguish didn't disappear right away. She couldn't blame him. After centuries of loneliness and constant fight against himself, he had to learn to be human again. After accepting who he was as a vampire, he had to now accept who he was as a human.

Planning their wedding itself had been a challenge. He wanted everything to be perfect and to her liking. _Everything_. From the meadow where they would celebrate –now that he was able to be exposed to day light, his only wish was for the wedding to be outside, something she was more than happy to accept, but she still had to choose the location- to the color of the pillow carrying their rings. He wanted to give her the wedding she always dreamt of, and to be honest, he more than succeeded in his task, even if he had been impossible about it in the beginning.

" _Robin, this is your wedding too, you know?"_

" _But I want it to be perfect." He insisted. "I want you to have everything you ever wished for. So tell me!" He held several menus in front of him. "Roasted turkey with smashed potatoes and asparagus or swan cooked in his juice with vegetables?"_

 _Regina rolled her eyes. "Do you have any preference?"_

 _Robin lifted an eyebrow and smirked "I haven't eaten any of this in centuries, my love. I don't even remember how it tastes."_

" _You've been human for months now. You must have an idea." She pointed._

" _But I want_ you _to choose!"_

 _Regina sighed, relented, came closer and grabbed the papers with the detailed menus of the last two meals left after they eliminated the other options offered by their cook._

 _She looked at them more closely, the appetizers, sauces, meats, sides, desserts, and held back the papers with a determined look._

" _The turkey. I'm not the biggest fan of swans, and I'm not certain our guests will like it either. The turkey is a sure thing, and everyone loves it."_

" _Alright. The meal is settled. What about the music? Do you prefer a classic quartet or local music."_

" _What do you like?" Regina questions._

" _I've never listened to music a lot." Robin shrugs._

" _You're going to find an excuse every time to escape from giving your opinion, are you?" Regina pointed, sitting on the edge of his desk._

 _Robin laid a hand on her thigh, stroked gently. "I told you. I want this wedding to be perfect."_

" _For_ me _!" Regina reminded. "But what about_ you _? I don't want you to have any regrets because you… I don't know… absolutely wanted to taste swan and I chose turkey instead."_

 _Robin laughed softly. "I'm pretty certain I would have hated the swan actually, so you saved me here." Regina was about to argue again but he cut her by getting up and facing her. "The only condition for this wedding to be perfect to my eyes, is to have you saying yes when the priest will ask if you want to become my wife."_

 _Regina leaned forward, grinning. "Then you'll have the most beautiful wedding ever."_

 _Robin brushed a strand of hair away from her face, glanced down at her lips. "That's all I'm asking for."_

 _And he pressed his lips to her._

Regina smiles against his chest. Their wedding was more than perfect. Utterly amazing to be honest, beyond everything she ever wished or imagined.

And quickly after, she learned that she was pregnant. Thinking of it, she actually believes that Faith was conceived during their wedding night, despite the fact that they had made love quite regularly during the months between the day the curse ended and the actual ceremony.

The little girl is everything Regina ever wanted. Strong, beautiful, with a bright mind and free spirit. A little too energetic sometimes, an endless bundle of joy and laughs, always running and asking for attention, but Regina loved Faith from the moment she realized she was pregnant.

And she knows that Robin, despite his fears, was completely smitten with his daughter since the very beginning.

" _Robin, please, calm down!"_

 _Regina grabbed his hand, forced him to still his pacing. She cupped his face with both her hands, made him look up at her._

" _There's no reason why you would be a bad father. You were a father once. This time isn't different."_

" _I'm not the same man as I was, Regina. I've done so many things since… And Roland… I wasn't here for him when he needed me the most."_

" _The situation is different. You couldn't have known about Roland's sickness, and the story doesn't have to repeat. You've changed, and for the better. You're such a good man-"_

" _But I wasn't always-"_

 _Regina gave him a look so firm and talked in a voice so determined that she shut him up instantly._

" _Stop living in the past! Yes, you did terrible things, but you came back from them. Robin, you were a vampire when you fell in love with me, and you never hurt me in any way. If so, you were even more thoughtful than any other man would have been. You_ saved _my life. You were ready to sacrifice yourself for me!" She reminded. "It won't be different with our child. You were an amazing father to Roland. You'll be an amazing father to this one too." She said in a softer voice, a hand covering her still flat abdomen. "Who you were once doesn't define who you are now. Ask anyone at the castle. Ask Ezra! Even with them, you changed for the better. So please, my love, stop being afraid of yourself!"_

 _She stuck her forehead to his, let him wrap his arms around her waist, taking a deep breath._

" _I want this child so much, Regina. Believe me, I'm not regretting it in the slightest."_

" _I know." She whispered._

" _You've already given me a new chance at love, and in life. And now you're blessing me with a child. You have no idea of how much you did for me. I'm just scared to blow everything up."_

" _You won't." She assured, giving his neck a gentle squeeze. "And if it makes you feel better, I'm terrified too."_

 _Robin looked up with puzzled eyes, pulling back a little. "You are?"_

" _Yes." She admitted with a shrug. "This is all new for me. Unlike you, I've never been married or had a child before. With each new step, I'm afraid to 'blow it up', but I take things as they come, and I have faith that the two of us together are strong enough to pass every ordeal. We already fought and won so many. And this," she took a step back, put both her hands on her abdomen, looking down at it, drawing Robin's gaze there too "isn't a fight. It's a blessing. It's a child that we will love from the bottom of our heart. It's a part of us. And I seem to remember that when we're working together, we kind of manage to create beautiful things."_

 _Robin chuckled, pressed his hands on top of his wife's, and nodded. "We sure do."_

She was right. On the day Faith was born, Regina saw in her husband's eyes a love so intense and pure they shone in a way they never did before.

 _Regina got up slowly, her body still sore from the hours of contractions and efforts it took her to give birth to her daughter._

 _She wrapped a robe around her, joined her husband on the other side of the bedroom, leaning against his back and looking over his shoulder at their baby peacefully sleeping in her crib._

" _I just can't bring myself to look away." He whispered. "She's perfect."_

" _She is." Regina agreed._

" _It's strange. I thought I'd never love someone the way I loved Roland." He admitted. "I mean… I loved Marian, and I love you. More than I could possibly imagine. But my son… What I felt for him was different. It was… Beyond anything else. Unique. I was so sure I'd never experience this level of love again. And yet, it's exactly the same thing I'm feeling for our daughter." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm not making any sense."_

" _No, Robin." Regina assured, dropping a kiss in his neck. "I understand. I can feel it too."_

 _He turned slightly towards her. "You do?"_

" _Yes." She moved forward, pressing herself against his side. "I love you with all my heart, but Faith… It's different. She's a part of me, of you. She is…_ unique. _" She said, looking down at the newborn. "I couldn't have understood before, but now that I'm a mother, I do. I know exactly what you mean."_

With each new day, their love for their child had grown exponentially, and the toddler's dimples and blue eyes combined with her silky dark hair, giving her an angelic face, only increased the adoration they have for her.

Not that they are passing her every attitude or mischief, but one smile from her is able to make their hearts completely melt.

So the prospect of a new child to come, reason why Robin cancelled all of his business trips for the next two months, is definitely adding to their happiness.

Robin kisses Regina's forehead, his hand heading for her swollen abdomen. "How is this one doing?"

"Very good." She answers, caressing the curve of her stomach. "The birth woman is fairly certain that it's a boy."

"What do you think?"

Regina gives him a shy smile. "I think she might be right. Not that there are many options, but this pregnancy is different from when I was carrying Faith. Or maybe this child is just a lot calmer than its sister. Which, I have to admit, is perfectly fine by me."

Robin chuckles, watches his wife rub their daughter's back kindly, cupping her cheek when Faith looks at them, her energy coming back instantly.

"Wanna play hide and seek!" She exclaims, wriggling to be put down, grabbing one of her mother's and one of her father's hand and dragging them towards the castle, where a few servants are waiting for them.

"Slow down, young lady!" Robin says. "Let daddy say hello first."

"But I want to play!" She insists.

"Faith!" Robin says firmly, stopping his daughter's protest. "Give me five minutes. Then daddy will play with you."

"Okay." The girl relents, sighing but knowing perfectly that if she insists, she will lose some play time with her parents.

Robin bends to Regina's ear. "And mommy will lie down for a nap." He presses a kiss to her temple. "You look exhausted, my love. Take a break, I'll take care of our little storm here."

Regina smiles gratefully, nods, keeps a hold on her daughter's hand and running her fingers through the child's long hair while Robin is talking with their servants, joining Ezra, who became his right hand and first adviser, as long as main attendant of the castle when Robin has to leave for business.

"Welcome home, master. It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Ezra. Was everything okay here?"

"Yes. We just received a few contracts you need to take a look at, but nothing that requires immediate attention. You can spend some time with your family, relax for the rest of the day. You had a long road. We can check everything tomorrow if you wish."

"That's perfect! Thank you for everything."

Robin Faith's free hand, smiles at his wife, and enters the castle with his family, greeting the people they meet on their way to their chambers. He stops Faith in front of his bedroom, faces Regina and cups her chin tenderly, leaning in for a soft kiss.

"Get some rest. I'm here now, you can relax."

Regina hums softly "Sounds perfect."

He crouches in front of his wife, presses a kiss to her stomach, hands moving along the curve to catch a movement or a kick. "Get some sleep too, my baby. I'll spend some time with you in a moment." As if agreeing, the child hits its father's palm, making Robin smile and give another kiss to where the baby lies.

"You're not coming, mommy?" Faith asks when he gets up, sounding disappointed.

Regina bends down the best she can with her more than large stomach –the baby is due for the next month, so some positions have become a struggle, but she manages to kiss her daughter's head.

"Not this time, sweetheart. Mommy needs to lie down a bit. You'll play with daddy in the meantime."

"Okay." The girl wraps her small arms around her mother's legs, her face pressing against her belly, where she knows her little brother or sister is growing, and she murmurs "Goodnight, baby." Then she looks up at her mother "Goodnight, mommy."

"Thank you, sweetheart. Have fun!"

As Robin watches his wife disappear behind the door, as he feels the excited pull of his daughter on his hand, leading him towards her bedroom, he can't help but think of everything he went through to get to this moment.

And he thinks that the curse that hit him and kept him ' _alive'_ for so long, in a way, as he thought it was a malediction, in fact resulted in giving him the life he always dreamt of.


End file.
